The engineering firm Fornale Engineering handled the structural design for the seismic consolidation of the thin-tile vaults following the 2012 Emilia earthquake.
We managed the structural design of this intervention, which is part of the necessary works for the seismic retrofitting of the entire building.
The structure has a rectangular plan and features a 4×3 grid of thin-tile vaults with intermediate pillars made of solid bricks prepared on-site.
Along the axes of the structural grid, there are masonry arches with specific notches to receive the vault bricks, which were laid using lime mortar.
Steel tie-rods also run along these axes, positioned inside the brick vaults within specific milled grooves. The tie-rods are not continuous but are interrupted at the internal pillars and anchored to a steel post, which is in turn anchored to the pillar.
Over the years, this structure housed a stable, and the state of mechanical degradation due to salts was compounded by the damage sustained during the 2012 earthquake.
The intervention we proposed aimed to maintain the grid and structural scheme, restoring and consolidating it wherever necessary.
MACRO INTERVENTION PHASES: seismic consolidation of thin-tile vaults
The macro-phases of the intervention are listed below:
- General cleaning, removal of saline encrustations and plaster remains from pillars and the intrados of the vaults via dry sandblasting;
- Removal of the extrados filling of the vaults;
- Milling of the main arches along the axes to verify the state of degradation of the metal tie-rods;
- Complete removal of the tie-rods due to their state of preservation;
- Installation of new sheathed tie-rods, anchor plates, and tensioning;
- Restoration of the milled arches;
- Installation of through-running helical bars at the capitals and filling of the haunches with NHL M15 mortar;
- Formation of a first layer of NHL M15 mortar on the extrados of the vaults for the subsequent installation of aramid mesh and completion of the structural topping wet-on-wet;
- Leveling with expanded clay;
- Formation of the screed for the subsequent installation of characteristic terracotta floor tiles;
- Finishing of the pillars with plastering.
The intervention resulted in the seismic consolidation of the vaults and the reinforcement of the floor slab.
Assignment: Executive structural design
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